Construction of cars.



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SAMUEL M. OURWEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CONSTRUCTION OF CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 18, 1906.

Application filed October 25,1905. Serial No. 284.332.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL M. CURwEN, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city and county of Philadelphia, State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in theConstruction of Cars Wholly or in Part of Metal, of which the followingis a specification.

WVhile my inventionmaybe advantageously used in other relations, it hasparticular application to the construction of cars in which metalsheathing is employed for the outside or inside covering.

In the construction of cars in which metal sheathing has been employedthe edges of the plates or sheets have been overlapped and securedtogether by rivets, the heads of which project from the exposed surfaceof the sheet. Apart from the question of looks or appearance, which isof more or less importance, the question of result in strength is of theutmost importance in constructing these cars. The framework or underbody of a car construction wholly or partly of iron is necessarily heavyand strong, while the superstructure,

for obvious reasons, should be as light as possible. This necessitatesthe employment (where the superstructure is wholly or partly of metal)of metal sheathing or plates and requires that the plates becomparatively very thin, thereby producing as light a construction aspossible. Likewise the uprights or supporting-posts are necessarily madeas light as possible. For this latter purpose and intermediate with theends of the car dif ferent forms of irons, such as angle or channeliron, are employed. The use of these produce lightness and strength. Inthe use of these comparatively thin plates and light yet strong uprightswith the sheathing riveted thereto weaknesses have been developed,

especially in the union of the plates with each other. More especiallyit has been noted that the plates have a tendency to shear the rivets,and where the riveting is had near the edge of the plate the tendency isto unduly strain the edge, which brings about a weakness of the union ofthe plates with each other and with the uprights and to a greater orless extent expanding and opening up the joints, permittingdeterioration of the metal and weakening the structure.

My invention has for its object to obviate these disadvantages and in aneconomical and expeditious manner obtain a flush surface where thesheathing or plates are united,

relieve the rivets of considerable strain, and permit the riveting to bedone closely adjacent to the edge of the plates without weakening themand at the same time relieve their edges of considerable of the strainwhich has heretofore existed.

For a more particular description of my invention reference is had tothe accompanying drawings, in which similar reference charactersdesignate similar parts.

In the drawings accompanying this specification, Figure 1 is an enlargedsectional view illustrating one embodiment of my invention, the sectionbeing taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevationof a further embodiment of my invention. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of aportion of a .tool which may be used in practicing my invention.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 indicates an upright or rib formed ofchannel-iron, and 2 and 3 indicate the sheathing or plates having theiredges overlapped and riveted to the upright, as will now be described.

The following is a description of the method in which I have utilized myinvention in actual practice, which can be of course modified to suitparticular conditions, viz: The uprights or ribs are erected upon thecar-frame, and the holes for the rivets are located and formed therein.The plates are clamped against the post and marked for the formation oftheir rivet-holes. The rivet-holes formed in the plate in the uprightare then countersunk or coned, as shown at 5, the countersink preferablyextending throughout the thickness of the rib, so as to make itscross-section wholly or substantially conical. The plates are thenplaced in position, held there by clamps, and the rivet holes marked offor located. By use of a suitable tool, such as shown in Fig. 3, in which6 is a head or shank and 7 a conical projection therefrom substantiallyconforming to the dimension and configuration of the countersunkrivet-holes in the rib, the metal surrounding the apertures in the edges8 of the plates is pulled in or driven into the countersunk recess 5,one plate being so treated after the other, so that the metal of bothplates surrounding their rivet-holes is depressed so as to form conicalprojections 9 and 10, extending as to the plate immediately against therib into the countersunk rivet-hole 5 and as to the outer or overlappingplate 3 into the conical depression thus ITO In order to I harmless andpermits a much smaller rivet smooth the union of the plates 2 and 3, Ipreto be used for the same strength than had fer to slightly round offthe edges of the conical projections, as shown in Fig. 1 at 11. This maybe done with the tool shown in Fig. 3 by giving it a suitableconfiguration, as at 12. The plates, ribs, post, or uprights are thensecured together by a rivet. This rivet has a conical head 13 and stem14 and the usual projection. The same is inserted through the aperturewhich extends through the rib and plates, so as to bring the coned headinto the conical depression, and then by placing a flat-headed toolagainst the outer surface of the head 13 the rivet is driven home,producing the usual circular head 15 and firmly uniting all the parts.To aline the plates, the overlying one, as 3, may have its edge offset,as at 16.

The result of this construction is a greatlystrengthened structure ascompared with those heretofore in use, in which the sheets are flat andriveted in the usual manner, so that the sheets tend to shear the rivetunder the stresses incident to the use of the car. As indicated above,the pulling of the sheets into the countersunk opening recess 5 bringsall the stresses against this countersunk portion, the bent part of thesheets, and the enlarged ends of the rivet. This wide distribution ofthe shearing stresses renders them heretofore been possible. Moreover,the head 13 of the rivet may be, and preferably is, made flush with theexternal surface of the sheathing, so that a smooth surface is availablefor the finishing paint of the car, and all unsightlincss is avoided.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that my invention maybe practicedin several ways Without departing from its spirit.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is In a car structure,a rib or plate with a countersunk perforation, two plates, oneoverlapping the other with registering perforations drawn and bent intosaid countersunk perforation, the outer of said plates being bent so asto have its main portion in the plane of the other plate, a rivetpassing through said perforation and holding portions of the said platesin said countersunk part of the perforation, and holding said plates andrib in their proper relative positions.

Signed this 7th day of October, 1905.

SAML, M. CURWEN. itnesses H. A. HEULINGs,

A. CLEMENT WILD.

